Don't be So Proud - Chapter 9.2 — Do Not Use Your Pride to Hurt Her (2)

In a world where 80% of humanity has awakened supernatural talents, life is a brutal competition.College loser Kim Do-hyun is barely surviving on game bots, instant noodles, and debt. That is, until a government-mandated awakening throws him into the spotlight… only to declare his power total trash.Cloning? Level one? Cooldown? One body? What a joke.But this clone is real. It sweats. It works. It eats. And when it trains… Do-hyun's stats increase.Now, while the clone grinds 24/7—running, working, even getting beat up—Do-hyun chills in bed, reaping the rewards.His strength rises. His body transforms. His life begins to change.But power attracts attention.And when an S-Rank hunter known only as The Jumper starts watching, Do-hyun realizes something terrifying:He might not be the only one cheating the system.

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

Spiritual energy ecovery brought about fundamental changes throughout the entire world, and posed an imminent threat to it. Chen Yang died in an accident and reincarnated to become a tiny koi fish inside the fish tank in his own home. Just as Chen Yang complained about the unfairness of destiny, he awakened the Evolution System. Thus, with his sister’s feeding, Chen Yang started his insane evolution. As the whole world sank deep into apocalypse, Chen Yang descended from the skies to crush everything.

He had evolved from a tiny koi fish to a gargantuan dragon. “This world shall be ruled by me!” When the fish playing in the waters was frightened by the net, it jumped over the Dragon’s Gate to become a real dragon. This is a story of how a loli raised a giant dragon, and dominated everything.

Tyler thought he had everything: good grades, a loving girlfriend, and a picture-perfect life. But everything shatters when an anonymous text warns him that his girlfriend, Alexis, is cheating. Dismissing it as a prank at first, Tyler’s world is turned upside down when he catches her in the arms of Logan Carter—the arrogant, untouchable captain of the football team.Heartbroken and humiliated, Tyler finds himself tangled in an unexpected game of cat and mouse with a mysterious texter. But things take a surprising turn when Tyler discovers that Logan was the mysterious texter all along. Fueled by anger, confusion, and a strange attraction he can’t explain, Tyler demands answers—only to receive an unexpected confession and a kiss that changes everything.